Day 85 in the secret realm — Dawn
Nova stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the Class A lounge, watching the artificial sun crest over the floating islands. The view was breathtaking—a masterpiece of architectural and magical engineering designed to inspire awe.
It left him cold.
The warehouse raid had been a calculated risk. He had struck at the Maxwell's wallet and lived to tell the tale. The blockade on his supplies had dissolved overnight, merchants suddenly finding their schedules miraculously cleared. Fear was a universal currency, and he had just proven he could pay.
But victories in the shadows rarely stayed in the shadows.
"Almond."
He didn't turn. The footsteps were light, the mana signature familiar.
"Katherine."
She stopped beside him, her golden hair catching the morning light. She wore her academy uniform, but her posture was rigid, her usual ease replaced by tension.
"Lord Marcus has lodged a formal complaint with the Academy Board. He claims a 'rogue element' attacked his family's warehouse and slaughtered his guards."
"Claims."
"There are witnesses. Or rather, there were. The five survivors have provided descriptions matching a silver-haired youth with mismatched eyes." She glanced at him. "He's painting you as a terrorist."
Nova finally turned. "Let him."
"The Board is taking it seriously. The Maxwells have significant pull with the Continental Guild. If they push hard enough, the academy will be forced to conduct an investigation."
"They can investigate. They will find nothing."
"Will they?" Katherine's gaze was sharp. "You left a trail of frozen corpses, Nova. Your signature is... distinctive."
"I was not seen entering or leaving."
"The spatial anomalies were recorded. The warehouse's security arrays registered multiple breaches consistent with high-level teleportation. The Board's investigators aren't fools." She lowered her voice. "There's talk of confinement. Of restricting your movements until the matter is resolved."
Confinement.
The word settled in Nova's mind like a stone in water.
He had allowed the academy to cage him. He had played by its rules, climbed its ranks, attended its classes. It had been useful—a place to grow, to learn, to build a foundation.
But now?
He was 3rd Order. He possessed Spatial Manipulation. He had the Godless System, a growing arsenal of artifacts, and a list of enemies that grew longer by the day.
The academy was no longer a sanctuary.
It was a target painted on his back.
"Is the investigation official?"
"Not yet. But it will be. Maxwell is pushing for a tribunal." Katherine hesitated. "If they restrict you to the secret realm, you'll be trapped. The Maxwells have agents in the transit stations. You'd be boxed in."
"I see."
"You need a plan."
"I have one."
He turned and walked toward the exit.
"Nova—"
"Thank you for the warning."
He didn't stop.
Class A Dormitory — Mid-Morning
Priscilla was awake when he returned. She sat at his desk, a pile of cultivation texts spread before her. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.
She looked up as he entered.
"The blockade is lifted," she said. "The merchants are suddenly very eager to sell."
"I know."
"Is it done? The threat?"
"It is paused." He crossed to his closet, pulling a travel pack from the top shelf. "It will return."
Priscilla watched him pack. A shirt. Rations. Water purification tablets.
"You're leaving."
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
She stood, moving to block his path. Her expression was a mix of fear and frustration.
"Nova, stop. Just... stop for a second." She took a breath. "You said I was yours. You said you protect what is yours. But you keep leaving me behind."
"You are not ready for where I am going."
"Then make me ready." Her voice cracked. "Train me. Fight beside me. Don't just—don't just shut me out."
He looked at her. She was trembling, her fists clenched at her sides.
He saw her potential. A-rank Plant Affinity. Intelligence. Determination.
But potential was not power.
"If you come," he said slowly, "you will be a target. The Maxwells have already targeted your family. If they learn of your involvement with me, they will not hesitate to use you."
"I don't care."
"You should. Your death would inconvenience me."
"Inconvenience?" She stared at him. "Is that all I am? An inconvenience?"
"You are a variable I cannot control." He closed the pack. "And I do not tolerate variables."
He moved to the door.
"I will return. Or I will not. Either way, you will continue your training. If I find you have stagnated, I will remove my protection."
"Nova—"
"Goodbye, Priscilla."
He left.
The door clicked shut behind him.
He walked away without looking back.
GODLESS SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
NEW QUEST GENERATED: "THE EXPATRIATE"
OBJECTIVE: Leave Sky Tower Academy and establish an independent base of operations. DIFFICULTY: B-Rank
TIME LIMIT: None REWARDS:
2,000 Credits
Random Epic-Grade Combat Technique
System Shop Access Upgrade (Tier 2)
NOTE: The academy is no longer a safe harbor. The world awaits.
He dismissed the notification.
He needed information. Resources.
He needed to find the next fragment.
And he couldn't do it while playing student.
Transit Station — Teleportation Hall 1
The hall was busy, students coming and going on missions. Nova joined the queue for departures, his pack slung over one shoulder.
The attendant scanned his crystal.
"Nova Almond. Class A. Departure destination?"
"Unassigned. I'm taking a private leave of absence."
The attendant frowned. "Private leave requires approval from the Class A coordinator. I don't see a signature here."
"It's urgent family business."
"I can't let you through without authorization." The attendant's voice was firm. "Academy rules."
Nova studied him. A bureaucrat with no skin in the game.
He could bribe him. Intimidate him.
Or he could bypass the system entirely.
He turned and walked away from the queue, heading toward the restricted zones.
"Sir, you can't—"
He didn't stop.
He found a blind spot—a section of the hallway where the security arrays had a three-second gap. He had mapped it days ago, in preparation for this exact scenario.
He activated Void Step.
The world dissolved.
And he reappeared in the transit chamber itself—a secure room where the massive teleportation arrays were housed.
Technicians turned, startled.
"Hey! You're not authorized—"
Nova ignored them. He stepped onto the array, his mind already calculating coordinates.
"Destination: Eastern Continent. Thornfield Waystation."
"Sir, we can't—"
He pushed 50 credits into the nearest technician's hand.
"Forget you saw me."
The technician blinked, then pocketed the credits.
"Initiating sequence. Safe travels."
The array hummed to life.
Light consumed him.
Thornfield Waystation — 11:00 AM Local Time
He materialized in the small stone building, staggering slightly. Long-range transit always took a toll.
He stepped out into the bright Earth sunlight.
The air was thin compared to the secret realm. The mana was weak. But it was free.
He walked away from the waystation, heading into the town.
His first priority: transportation. The secret realm was protected by the academy's treaties. But Earth was vast, wild, and largely ungoverned. The Fiends and the Maxwells had power here, but so did he.
He stopped at a public terminal, checking his finances.
GOLD COINS: 11,400
CREDITS: 400 (remaining after Spatial Stone purchase)
He needed to establish a safe house.
His interface pinged.
FRAGMENT DETECTION: 4th Fragment
DISTANCE: 4,500 miles. DIRECTION: Southwest.
NOTE: Fragment is located in a restricted zone.
A restricted zone.
A place where the academy's rules meant nothing.
He smiled, a cold, thin expression.
Perfect.
He hired a transport at the edge of town, a rugged vehicle suited for long-distance travel. The driver was a laconic man who asked no questions, accepting triple the standard rate.
"Where to?"
"Southwest. As far as the roads go."
The driver nodded, and the vehicle lurched into motion.
As the town disappeared behind them, Nova watched the horizon.
The academy had been a means to an end. It had given him strength.
Now, it was time to see what he could do on his own terms.
The Golden Cage was behind him.
The wilderness lay ahead.